What comes after the end, the unexpected
by MarineBluez
Summary: It has been two years since Gin disappeared. Hotaru finally returns back to the forest only to witness something unexpected. But wait, she encounters someone familiar to her as well?
1. Chapter 1

Sorry if there are any grammatical errors here and there:P This is my very first fanfiction and I was pretty much inspired by Midorikawa Yuki sensei works to write this crossover. Please review:)

…...

I watched with desperation as Gin's body started to glow in a faint blue light. "Hotaru," he called with a smile as his body disintegrated, 'you can finally touch me."My previous look of horror quickly faded as I ran into his comforting arms. Ah, his body was a lot warmer than I expected as I clung onto his yukata for what I hoped seemed like hours.

"Hotaru I love you…" Gin's final words whispered into my ear. I looked up just in time to see his face disappear into the night body now supported by nothing but air came crashing down to the cold hard ground. Left behind was his yukata and fox mask, the proof that he once existed. The tears of grief would not just stop pouring down my face.

"Gin always wanted to be hugged by a human." A voice ran out from the forest before me. I picked myself up turning to face the bunch of yokai* whom I had met from my adventures with Gin. "He finally has thanks to you, Hotaru…" a kasa-obake* called out.

I suppressed my feelings of sadness and wiped my tears away. Yes, Gin was finally free after being granted his long-awaited wish, I thought as I picked up the mask on the floor. Smiling, I thanked and waved goodbye to Gin's friends to express my gratitude.

As I left the forest hugging onto the mask, I looked up into the star filled sky one more time. Gin, I would miss you, my feet departed towards the town. No matter what, I promised, I would surely come back again…

….…..…..…Two years later…...

" We are now arriving at Honshu station…Honshu station…" The train broadcaster sounded as I quickly gathered my luggage. In no time was I on again the once familiar platform.

Its already been two years huh? I thought to myself cheerfully as I made my way to Oji-chan's* home. Time flies so quickly…

In the year before I had already graduated from high school and had begun making a living at a small workforce not far from home. I originally had plans to start a small business in the countryside despite my young age and parents' protest, but for the time being I would just hang on for a while, I smiled to myself.

Stopping before an old worn-out one-story house at the end of the road, I called out to Oji-chan before making my way into the house. "Ah, Hotaru-chan you're here already?" Oji-chan hobbled out to greet me. "Didn't I say I would be here two days ago? You are so forgetful sometimes." I pouted as I ran up to hug him.

During the years I had not been here, Oji-chan seemed to have grown shorter and smaller in size whereas the house itself did not seemed to changed much in appearance both inside and outside. Escorting my luggage to the bedroom, I quikly changed into a fresh set of tank top and shorts before excitedly running out of the house.

The hot blazing sun shined down onto my pale skin while small beads of perspiration started to appear on my forehead as I panted up the old forest pathway. The insects sang and the soft wind blew to rock the trees. From where I was at the old shrine where I used to meet Gin, memories started to overflow in me as I took in the majestic sights of nature that I used to miss.

Unknowingly a single drop of tear rolled down my cheek, I miss you…Gin.

Without warning a blast of violent wind hit me square on my face as I was blown into the dense covering of trees. From the corner of my eye I saw a dark shadow form from where I once stood, what the heck was happening?

I scrambled up onto my knees and peered out of the bush to see that the huge shadow belonged none other than a yokai. I sucked in my breath to take in this yokai's intimidating aura and appearance. Its size was the biggest I had ever seen in my life for a yokai and it appeared to have a large humanized body with a red goat's head. It carried in one hand what seemed like a small green old book and the other a giant club.

Too terrified to utter a single sound of movement, I watched with my hands over my mouth to soften my harsh breathing as the monster scanned surroundings which it destroyed when it appeared from the sky with its glowing crimson eye before blasting out a roar which shook the entire forest floor and finally barging into the trees never to be seen again.

I scrambled up in fear and slowly approached the site of mass destruction. It was all gone, the shrine the trees the view, everything which once held dear memories of mine. I stared blankly into the horizon, too shocked for words.

All of a sudden a second blast of wind, but not as strong as the first blew me onto the ground. "NO! Please stop!" I cried as I covered my face with shaking arms, expecting the worst to come.

"Hai?" A voice from above sounded. Eh? What, it is not the one from before? I slowly uncovered my eyes in confusion. The first thing I saw was the enormous majestic white foxlike yokai, which bared its fangs at me. Since I was too terrified at the close distance I was with it, I screamed on instinct.

"Don't be afraid. We are not here to hurt you." The same voice sounded again. I stopped and let my eyes trail to the back of the yokai where a teen in his high school uniform sat comfortably on the yokai's back. But his actions did not matter to me, it was his face, that all too familiar face which I used to yearn for. With the exception of his warm brown eyes and hair, this boy was the exact copy of Gin, the face, the hair, even the way he furrowed his eyebrows giving me the same concerned expression which Gin had always used to give me whenever I got into trouble, he was the same as the one which I had missed for the past two lonely years.

Gin, he was finally back?

To be continued of course…

…...

Translations:

Yokai* -Japanese legendary monsters

Kasa-obake* - a possessed umbrella monster

Oji-chan* - grandfather


	2. Chapter 2

Yay done with Chap 2, lets see how it goes shall we? Please review:D

…...

Takeshi's POV

I wasn't really sure what to make of her staring wide eyed at me for more then five minutes. True that I had failed to see her before landing, but that did not give her the reason to continue staring blankly at my face without saying a word. "Um Nyanko-sensei, I think your aura is intimidating her from speaking." I whispered off to my bodyguard's ear. "Hmph, what a weakling not being able to withstand my magnificent youki*," Nyanko-sensei (no wait, now Madara in his true form) scoffed before shrinking himself into his cat form.

"Are you alright?" I held out a hand to the lady who looked like a university student, sprawled on the ruined ground. "Gin…." I swore I heard her whisper. "Huh?" I replied in confusion, did she accidently bump her head? Finally she snapped out of her dream-like trance only to look up properly again.

That was when I realized that she was no longer looking at me but at Nyanko-sensei now perched on my shoulder like a bird. " Your… Your cat," she stammered, "he was a big talking white beast before."

I stared at her in surprise when I finally realized that she was one of the very few in this modern era today who could still see and hear youkai perfectly well. "A human other than Natsume who can see ayakashi, hm… interesting" Nyanko-sensei crooned at her with amused eyes.

After helping her up, I quickly apologized and introduced Nyanko-sensei and myself. That strange look once hidden under her face quickly disappeared. "I'm Takegawa Hotaru," she replied with a cheerful smile, "I live just at the town right below this forest."

"Ano, Hotaru-san," my voice toned down, "is it true that you can see youkai?"

"Hmm, ever since young I have always come to this very forest everyday to play with the neighboring youkai…especially with a special one…" The same sad smile appeared again on her face as she bent down to clear the rubble. I probed no further and begun to help her with the clearing up of the debris strewn randomly around.

"By the way Takeshi-san what is your purpose in coming to this plain looking forest today?"

My head shot up startled, only to meet her curious chocolate brown eyes. Heat rose up my face and I broke the gaze, looking away embarrassed. "Um, the reason for my intrusion is…" I trailed off, waiting for Nyanko-sensei's approval on letting Hotaru in. He merely gave a hmph into the air telling me to do whatever I pleased before disappearing into a bush stating that he was going to find sake*. (Well, I guess that's Nyanko-sensei for you -_-|||)

I continued on in a serious tone, " I am actually the keeper of a powerful ayakashi binding book called The Book of Friends, one in whichever youkai's name given on the book would be at the keeper's mercy and forced to do as the keeper wish." Hotaru's eyes widened at that fact. "Don't worry! I'm not actually like that." I ensured her before adding in an inaudible sarcastic laugh, "well, maybe my the previous book owner, my grandmother was…"

"Anyway," I picked up, "Because of this fact I would try to return the names written in the The Book of Friends back to their original youkai owners who would be free from the contract at the same time. But from where I come from, I am famous within the circle of youkai, thus many youkai including those up to no good know my name very well and would go by any means to get the book into their possession. Unfortunately the book has currently been stolen by a evil youkai and me together with Nyanko-sensei are on his tail."

Pausing to let Hotaru catch up, I watched her features slowly turn from confusion into mild shock as she absorbed the information before freezing on the spot as if my words had strike a bell in her head. " Ano, Hotaru-san?" I waved my hand before her glazed eyes.

"Takeshi-san," She suddenly snapped out of her thoughts leaving me falling backwards, " Does the youkai you were chasing after have a goat's head and one red eye?"

" Yes, his name is Jaakuna no Yagi* and is one of the most infamous youkai in the ayakashi world. How did you know that it was him who stole The Book of Friends?" I questioned.

Hotaru explained, "Before your arrival, I was here visiting the shrine. All of a sudden that said youkai appeared without and wrecked the whole place. Thankfully I was hiding in a bush were I could not be seen. From what I recalled he seemed to have been holding an old green book in one hand and looking around suspiciously before disappearing into the forest that way." She pointed westwards where not a single sign of damage could be seen from mother nature.

I gulped nervously before thanking her for her information and started off where Nyanko-sensei had also disappeared before, westwards. "Takeshi-kun!" I spun around having heard my name called just as I was about to step into the trees.

Hotaru immediately blushed and looked down seeming to only just realize what she did. Feeling uncomfortable, I let my eyes travel away from her silent form. "Ano, Takeshi-san…" she mumbled still looking down, "is it fine with you if I were to tag along on your search?"

_Eh? _I stared dumbfounded at her. _Despite Hotaru-san knowing the danger that prevails and not to mention only have met me for no longer than an hour she insists on accompanying me?_ "Hotaru-san I would prefer if you stayed behind to watch over your own village just to be safe that Jaakuna no Yagi would not trespass." I tried to convince her.

"No…Please don't leave me again…" She faintly whispered with her bangs covering her eyes. Before I had the chance to say a word, she whipped her head up only to reveal a pair of drastically determined eyes. "Takeshi-san, even though that you may think that I am foolish and reckless, I would still want to search with you for your missing book. Since young I know these mountain forests on back of my palm very well and I am sure that my knowledge would prove to be helpful in your search for the youkai."

She left me speechless, calmly waiting for my final decision. After listening to her resolve, I sighed and readily agreed. She followed after me into the forest and from the back I heard a soft "Thank you…"

Whatever her real motive was in joining me on the search for Jaakuna no Yagi and The Book of Friends in the forests where most of the youkai dwell, I silently made a prayer to god as we trudged deeper into the forest._ Please don't let Hotaru-san get hurt._

To be continued…(maybe?)

…...

Translation:

Youki: An aura emitted from a youkai

Sake: Japanese rice wine

Jaakuna no Yagi: Literally means 'evil goat ' (had no idea what to name the youkai:P)

Author's Note:

Thanks for the reviews they are much appreciated:-)

Sorry if its short…


End file.
